San Diego Preview 2024

Hops Preview 2024

San Diego, coming off their first winning record since 2019, has high hopes for a very competitive division in 2024. Few changes were made in the off-season, though management has said there was a lot of interest in top names, Lebel and Tosewell. The international flavor of the organization is one of its strengths, as the scouting department has found prospects from all over the globe, including nations not known for baseball like South Africa, India, and Pakistan. Four of the team stars are from Canada, Justin Davis, Kyle Reader, Terrence Sepkiechler and Goldi Lebel. The major league roster includes natives of Venezuela, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa, Dominican Republic, England, Mexico, Cuba, and a few from Texas.

Starting Pitching

Led by Mal Tosewell, coming off a 20-6 campaign, this is a solid corps despite the season ending injury to Francisco Rolón. After the premier southpaw, Tosewell, expect to see youngster Jin-Song Cheung, only 23, but already considered a leader. The middle of the rotation goes back to the left side with veteran Tadusake Kato and his nasty changeup. Short in stature, but long on experience, Kazuhiko Kanno holds down the fourth spot in the rotation. The rotation finishes with another fireballing veteran, Bill Baker.

Luis Sandoval is first up from the pen should the Hops need an emergency starter. There are a number of solid, if not spectacular, arms in the minors, including Kendrick Dobson and the intriguing lefty, Salah Bin-Atif.

Bullpen

Bob Moore, picked up in a trade with Duke City late last season, saved seven games in spring training to take control of the San Diego ninth innings. Henry McGowan is the main setup man from the right side, and had seventeen saves in ’23. The surprise of the spring, international free agent, Ajdir Kasakya, from South Africa, joins the big league roster as the lefty setup man. He posted a sub 1.00 ERA in the spring and showed the team that he belongs with his passion for the game.

Former closer Ed Downing (199 career saves) anchors the middle of the bullpen along with Ivan Garcia, Jorge Ortiz and the aforementioned Luis Sandoval.

The minor leagues offer some intriguing prospects led by AAA closer, Alonso Esquivel, and AA closer, Javier Galindo.

Catcher

Goldi Lebel has been the starter the last two seasons, but he is expected to see more time at shortstop this season. As a result, Antonio Rojas will have the bulk of the starts behind the plate, backed up by the effervescent Morgan Cairns. This is a thin position in the organization with no real future star in the wings.

First Base

Kyle Reader, two time ABL batting champion, moves from the outfield to first base. He is backed by Roberto Afilhado now that Joe Calhoun was placed on waivers this week. The only prospect of note is years away in A, Susumu Yamamoto.

Second Base

Young prospect, Gerard Leeder moves from shortstop to second to make room for Lebel. He is backed by veterans Jorge Castillo, Carlos Gamboa, and Joe Frost, all capable at a number of infield positions. Rocky Banks and Paul Miller are both in AAA and may see time at the keystone this season. If Spencer Meaker can improve with the bat, he is the slickest fielder in the minors.

Third Base

Terrence Sepkiechler plays every infield position well, but is most fond of the hot corner, where he will see most of his playing time in 2024. He is a tremendous hitter with a lifetime .307 average and .893 OPS. Besides the backup infielders, the Canadian Cannon is being pushed from the minors by Miller, and Pakistan native, Waqar Kharoti, though he is only 19.

Shortstop

Long a troubled spot in the Hops infield, Goldi Lebel hopes to solidify the position in 2024. Already a Gold Glove winner at catcher, he displayed great acumen for the infield during the spring. One of the top prospects in the organization is AAA shortstop San-Pao Chio.

Outfield

From left to right, the normal grouping will be Ricardo Romo, a .336 career hitter who hopes to continue his early success in the ABL, Carlos Avila, a two time All-Star, and Tom Cassidy, a solid player with some pop. Justin Davis, career .288/.378/.444, and Kyle Reader are also in the mix, the former probably more of a DH, but a good corner OFer, while Reader also plays the corners.

Jejomar Butardo is an ABL top-ten prospect in the minors, and is only 21, while Shunsu Fukuda and Zhao-Ying Gai are big bats lurking in AA.

September callups

Gonzalo Diéguez

Pity the catcher

Backstop

When gonzalo takes windup

Down

Down

In the dirt

Off shins

Nether regions

Nasty

Ninety four plus

Sinkers

Sliders

Forkballs

Levers always pointing south

Burly six foot seven

Like a bear attacking swing

Thinking your

Bat

Is a picnic

Eat it up

But now

You’re in the bigs

And no matter

How many inches

How much heat

That number on your back

Says, “rookie”

 ____________

The Hops enter September and the last 27 games of the season with a good chance to finish above .500 for just the third time in franchise history. Though unlikely, there is still an outside chance that the Hops can make playoffs for only the second time in history. Coming off a 7-3 run despite injuries to key players (OF/1b Kyle Reader, DH/1b Shannon Chase and C Goldi Lebel), the Hops real test will come in their next seven games on the road where they are only 25-38.

Young southpaws, Mal Tosewell, 16-5 with a league’s third best 3.67 ERA, and rookie, Francisco Rólon, 6-2 and a 4.11 ERA, are leading the turnaround on the mound. Top hitters are the usual San Diego suspects for the most part: Carlos Avila, slash line of .302/27/105, Terrence Sepkiechler, .314/17/84, Antonio Rojas, filling in for Lebel behind the plate, .283/13/47, and newly minted star, Ricardo Romo, .344/12/70.

Badry Makaev just came off the injured list after missing the entire season so far, and Justin Davis returns from AAA exile to shore up an outfield struck by the Reader injury. Local pundits are interested in the rookie pitchers other than Rólon, “Skates” Cheung who has been sporadic in this his first real test after six games in 2022, and rd. 8 draft pick Gonzalo Diéguez, who at 6’7”, is a big drink of water with a 14-5 AAA record.

Down on the farm in Coronado, a pair of first round draft choice 20 year olds are exciting the San Diego fans, switch hitting Phillipine OF Jejomar Butardo, and another switch hitter, Taiwanese OF Zhao-Ying Gai. To further highlight a United Nations farm system, Iraqi lefty Salah Bin Atif is climbing through the system with three big-league pitches, and Mexican closer, Alonso Esquivel. In fact, only six of the top twenty prospects in the SD farm system are native to the United States.

Rolón debut dazzles

Francisco “The Ranchize” Rolón

In his first big league start, “The Ranchize” stymied the Mile High Mustangs for 7.1 innings, shutting them out on five hits while striking out six and only walking two. He gave up leadoff doubles, first in the initial frame, and also walked a man before retiring the side, and again in the third, a leadoff double and walk. He pitched in and out of trouble, allowing at least one runner each inning except the fourth and sixth. The sixth was his best, striking out two and retiring the Lorenzo Rodriguez on a grouner. His San Diego teammates didn’t give him much support, striking for only one run until the bottom of the sixth when Joe Frost connected for a two run dinger. Rolón started the eighth, getting another groundball out, but after topping 100 pitches, the Hops went to the bullpen to complete the shutout. Rolón induced eleven ground outs against only five flyballs with his array of sinker, curves and changeups. His sinker, thrown at a devastating mid 90’s with leaden drops, consistently flummoxed the Mustang batsmen. San Diego looks forward to his next start against the second place Tornadoes in game three of their upcoming series.

Rolón compiled a 2-2 record in AAA in five starts with a 2.76 ERA after a meteoric rise through three levels of the minors in ’22. The fourth round draft choice won’t turn 21 until January 2024.

The Hops are off to a decent start going 8-4 out the gate before falling back to .500. The usual suspects, Reader, Avila and Sepkiechler are leading an offense that is still trying to find consistency. If Rolón stabilizes the rotation, the Hops could be making suds in 2023.

Hops Year in Review, 2022

 Terrence Sepkiechler

Hops Year in Review

San Diego toasted an improved Hops contingent in 2022, but still fell far short of playoff contention. Kyle Reader and Terrence Sepkiechler led an offense that was one of the most potent in Hops history. Reader led the league in hitting, a San Diego first, with a .378 average, to go with an unheard of .441 OBP while slugging .497. Sepkiechler’s slash line of .332/.397/.575 with 28 round-trippers and 49 doubles leading the team. Carlos Avila chimed in with 105 rbis, while hitting .312 to go with 26 homers. Additional offense was provided by the rookies, Ricardo Romo, .334, and Gold Glove catcher, Goldi Lebel, .298.

Pitching, as usual, was the downfall for the Hops. Outside of Mal Tosewell, returning after missing the entire 2021 season, the pitching staff was shaky throughout the season. The bullpen ERA of 5.42 was a meager tenth in the league, offsetting a 4.93 starter ERA that was a deceptive third. The long ball was the bane of the mound corps, giving up over 200 bombs to rank eighth.

Player by Player Grade:

C Goldi Lebel: A

Goldi responded to the starting catcher role with aplomb. He collected the first Gold Glove of his career at catcher, but also showed he could play a plus SS and CF. He banged out 42 doubles, and knocked in over 60, while scoring 78 times.

C/DH Antonio Rojas: B+

Rojas gave up his starting role, but still contributed in a huge way. Relegated to a part time role, he was limited to 241 at bats, but made the most of those appearances, hitting .290 while hitting 13 bombs and knocking in 45. He has a team friendly contract, and rumors abound that he is on the trading block.

C Chris Morton: C

The one-time primary backup spent most of the season at AAA Coronado. He hit .333 in a September callup.

DH/1b Shannon Chase: B

Veteran first sacker, Chase, at 34, was the primary DH, socking 22 homers with 86 RBIs. He has one more year on his contract, and is probably holding down the DH slot in a platoon role in 2023.

1b/RF Kyle Reader: A

Reader continues to impress with the bat, and played a solid 1b with only 6 errors in over 1000 innings at the bag.

2b/IF Joe Frost: C+

Frost started at four different infield positions, but was the primary second-baseman for the Hops in 2022. His bat was a major disappointment, hitting only .214, though he did manage to drive in 60.

IF Jorge Castillo: C-

Castillo filled in all over the infield, starting over half the year at SS. Unfortunately, his bat, and a lack of range afield, made his spot one that demands improvement for ’23.

IF Ichizo Sato: C+

Unheralded Sato played all three infield spots, and was the best hitter of the 2b/SS group at .283. A career utility guy, he will probably be back.

IF Hai Dong Joe: C

30 some odd games with nondescript results, though he was the best fielding SS in the Hops ’22 season.

SS Gerard Leeder: C-

Leeder is the shortstop of the future but at 20, he was overmatched in ’22, hitting .193 in 48 games. If his bat matures, he could right a lot of what is wrong with the Hops.

3b Terrence Sepkiechler: A

Number 54 held down the hot corner, and crushed the ball all year. He was an All-Star selection for the first time in his career.

LF Badry Makaev: B-

Injuries limited Makaev to only 58 games, but he made the most of them with a .344/.382/.500 slash line. His injury opened the door for Ricardo Romo, crowding an already populous OF situation.

LF/RF Tom Cassidy: B+

A sixteen game season translated into a .371/.418/.565 slash line, meaning he too is a Hops OFer to be reckoned with.

OF Justin Davis: D

2022 was a disappointment for Davis, as injuries and inconsistent play both afield and at the plate plagued the former starter.

LF Ricardo Romo: B+

In his first chance to break into the Hops OF, Romo seized the opportunity and raked all season long. He banged out 116 hits with 57 RBIs.

RF Daniel Lopez: A-

Lopez quietly crushed 20 HRs, knocked in over 80 and contributed 165 hits while starting over 140 games in RF. His season was not quite as good as ’21, but at 26, he should be good for a number of years.

DH/OF Dan Savage: B

Savage started 32 games at DH when Chase was injured, and hit well, .345/.428/.453, though with mostly gap power. He is limited defensively, so he may be the Chase platoon partner in ’23.

OF Carlos Avila: A-

Avila continues to impress as the Hops’ CF, but his power numbers declined a little in ’22. He is under contract until at least ’24, and so looks like a solid fixture in the middle of the Hops’ lineup.

MINOR LEAGUERs of note

OF Jejomar Batardo at 19 is the best hitting prospect in the SD system. Beyond him, most of the position players are already in their mid-twenties, and yet to show major league potential. One to watch is infielder, San-pao Chio. The youngster looked good in his rookie season before it was cut short by an Achilles injury.

SP Bill Baker: C

Baker managed a 9-9 record despite a 5.60 ERA. Baker walked almost five per nine innings, and opposing hitters battered him for a .350 average.

SP Lee Barker: C-

Barker spent some time in the bullpen after his 5.50 ERA was too unsightly for the rotation. He finished an unspectacular 8-9.

SP Jin-song Cheung: B

The rookie was called up in September, and showed he may be a factor in ’23. His 2.35 ERA was the best on the staff, though only representative of a short tenure.

SP Jesus Feliciano: B-

Feliciano won the AAA Cy Young award, but he has yet to translate that success to the big league level, as he is 25-37 with a 5.65 ERA in his big league career. At 29, he needs to step up in the majors now.

SP Tadasuke Kato: C+

Kato logged 195 innings, but an 11-16 record with a 4.79 ERA was modest at best. There were hopes he would improve on the ’21 record of 12-9, but he slid a little in ’22.

RP Jose Lara: D

Lara wanted to be a starter, but with a 6.83 ERA in 20 games, he didn’t show the type of stuff to break into the rotation.

SP Lorenzo Pueblo: B

Pueblo was the most reliable pitcher after Tosewell, going 11-11 with a 4.83 ERA in 199 innings over 33 starts. His ERA was a full 2.00 points better in ’22, but that level of improvement is unlikely for ’23.

SP Mal Tosewell: A

Tosewell came back from a year off to wow San Diego fans with a 16-6 record, 3.22 ERA and 153 Ks to only 35 walks in 195 innings. The ace of the staff looks to continue his stellar ways in seasons to come.

RP Joe Barrett: D

7.03 ERA in 24 games, enough said.

RP Ivan Garcia: B-

Garcia appeared in 67 games, and was the most effective arm out of the Hops’ pen. His wildness, 45 walks in 72 innings, hurt his performance.

RP Shiro Hatsutori: C

The rule 5 acquisition had an up and down season, going 2-2 with 2 saves in 39 long relief outings. An ERA of 5.74 was not impressive.

SP/RP Kazuhiko Kanno: C-

Kanno’s ERA went up two full points to 7.55, leading to a long stint in the bullpen after starting the season in the rotation.

RP Aurelio Mata: C

The veteran meandered between the bullpen in San Deigo and Coronado, never establishing a rhythm, and finishing with a disappointing 6.21 ERA.

RP Henry McGowan: B-

In 17 games, McGowan only gave up nine hits, and his 2.16 ERA was great. He might contend for a rotation spot in ’23.

RP Luis Sandoval: C+

63 appearances and over 80 innings with a 5.44 ERA was middle of the road at best.

CL Ed Downing: B

He signed a three year extension in May, and was a good 9^th inning option if the bullpen got the Hops that far, with 31 saves ranking fifth in the league.

RP Nate Downs: C+

Injured most of the season, he did manage to post a 3.00 ERA in 19 appearances.

MINOR LEAGUERS of Note

19 year old Francisco Rolon is ostensibly the top mound prospect, but a 1-6 record with 8.66 ERA in AAA looks like he needs more seasoning before contributing at the big league level. Alberto Rivera was 17-7 over the season in AA and AAA, but the jury is out on this 21 year old. Salah bin Atif is an intriguing story, the Iraqi native sports a 99 mph fastball, and two good secondary pitches. He might be a bullpen option after starting most of his minor league career.

Future Thoughts

San Diego needs to shore up its staff, find a middle infielder, and the method may be dealing some of its outfielders, or being more aggressive in the free agent market.

March 26-2015; September Song

San Diego Hops

Wilting in the Southland

San Diego, CA

Desultory, self-destructive, desperate, delinquent

San Diego Hops

One win

lost amidst

Thirteen losses

The .500 flirt of two weeks past

Baseball gods dashed askance

Innumerable ways to avoid wins

Hitting, and its lack

Errors, base running blunders, fielding fault, arms gone south

Three outfielders disabled

Closer shut down

Middle relief featuring excess wildness, woe, willingness to hit bats

Squarely

With some exception, though, not this month

Mal Tosewell, now 15-6, far and away best of staff

184 innings after an injury ravaged 2021, 3.27 ERA

bellwether, though the rest of the flock has strayed

Only McGowan joins with an ERA below four and a quarter

Quiet go bats

Avila creeping to 100 rbis

Needs one more, but will need a man on base

Or

Stroke the increasingly rare four-bagger

Stagger

Sepkiechler, shoppers target, staying put

.964 OPS

Ricardo Romo, rookie making time in bigs

count

Fans, mumbling over pints

Wait until ‘23

Everyone back

Is that the answer?

Will there be a Tosewell turnaround from

Banged up

Makaev

Downs

Davis

Reader

Queries abound answers mystify

What ails

Chatter

Soft

Over ale

2022 Season Preview

San Diego Hops Season Opening Preview

Pundits have pegged San Diego for a mediocre 85+ loss season, but fans hope for better from their favorite beer drinking pastime.

Catcher

Goldi Lebel has arrived, and though he could play SS or CF with equal ardor, it is behind the plate that he can make a difference, at least to start the season. Antonio Rojas coming off a great season will see a lot of backup action. Chris Morton waits in the minors should there be depth issues.

1b

Shannon Chase moves to DH, and Kyle Reader is bumped from the outfield to first. Reader is off to a fantastic start, and is showing no problems handling the infield. Sepkiecheler and Rojas can play there in a pinch, as well as Chase.

2b

Joe Frost slides over from shortstop to take on the second sack. The veteran has ample talent, and Hops faithful are hopeful he has at least one more good season. Ichizi Sato backs up all three infield spots.

SS

Jorge Castillo has a brilliant glove, and SD hopes his bat is at least adequate. If not, look for Lebel to take off the tools of ignorance and plug this hole.

LF

Justin Davis just came off the DL to play all three OF positions, but he lost his job while injured to Badry Makaev.

CF

Carlos Avila is the team power leader and does a fine job in center as well.

RF

Daniel Lopez flip flops between the two corner OF spots, backed by Davis.

SP

The weak point of the Hops’ team, but there might be some hope in the wings. Kaz Kanno and Tad Kato are the top two in the rotation. Kato went 12-9 last season and is looking to win at least 15 this season. If Lorenzo Pueblo, Bill Baker and Lee Barker can all also improve by three wins each, San Diego might even sniff contention. Mal Tosewell and Jin-song Cheung are champing at the bit in AAA.

Bullpen

Getting to closer Ed “Crime Spree” Downing is the task for Ivan Garcia and Nat Downs. Sandoval, Lara, Lewis and Barrett along with rule 5 draftee, Hatsutori, fill out the roster.

With a 6-6 start to the season, San Diego is already showing signs of improvement. Sweeping Montreal gave the team a huge boost of confidence. Castillo and Frost are cold at the plate, but are doing quite a nice job in the field and began to heat up in the Bandit series. Kato has been the ace so far, but Barker and Baker have both pitched a great game each. Kyle Reader is hot to start the year at the plate, and might again flirt with .400.

San Diego 2021 in review

San Diego Hops, a season in review

Sun and sunshine

Deep blue skies

Exquisite sunsets

Intimate ocean

Oh,

That baseball team

The big news for the franchise’s offseason will be the dedication of the Hop Garden, a combination Team Hall of Fame, and Locally Grown Hops, in the recess between the fence and stands of left-centerfield. In other news, the Hops fans are excited by some of the developing players on the major league roster, and hopes they stay off the DL.

Catcher: þ þ þ þ ☐

Almost a five/five season, perhaps if “Titan” had been called up sooner…

This is suddenly a very deep position. Antonio Rojas started most of the season backed up by Chris Morton who also filled in at DH. The two combined for 36 home runs and over 100 rbis. The real revelation was the September call-up of Goldi “Titan” Lebel. In a brief 22 game debut, he not only hit .300 with gap power, but his defense was truly remarkable, throwing out five of eight attempted base stealers. Rojas is only 27, Morton 28, Lebel 25, and next man up, Morgan Cairns who hit .313 at AAA, is 29. Elton Tremwade (22) and Ekansa Sathiamoorthy (18) provide yet more depth in AA. Many believe the Hops will move one of the four on the 40-man roster, or move Lebel to shortstop if Hai-Dong Joe or Joe Frost falter.

First Base: þ þ þ ☐ ☐

Shannon Chase started 134 games, 114 at 1b, while hitting .270/22 HR/91 rbi. However his glove was less stellar. Jonathan Barnes started most of the rest of the time, with only a slight improvement afield, and a meager .230 bat. Terrence Sepkiechler flashed a great glove, but he is the primary third baseman, and is not ready at this point in his career to move across the diamond. None of the minor leaguers, Myers, Gibbs, Cunningham, etc., inspire a great deal of hope at first. Chris Morton moved up from the squat and may be a bridge to the future at the position. With Chase turning 33, and Barnes 32, they may be on the downside of their careers.

Second Base: þ þ þ ☐ ☐

Jorge Castillo was a pleasant surprise, hitting .323 with an OPS of .854 while posting a great zone rating with only four errors. Joe Frost spend some time at the keystone, but showed he’s lost a step or two, and hit only .230 though he did knock in 91.

Third Base: þ þ þ þ ☐

Terrence Sepkiechler is the infield super-star, spending most of his time on the hot corner with a great slash line of .317/.386/.501 19 hr, 91 rbi. At 27, he’s in his prime, and seemed to have shaken off the injury bug that diminished  his 2020 season. Hai Dong Joe, Ichizo Sato and Castillo backed him up. Paul Miller shows some promise in AA.

Shortstop: þ þ ☐ ☐ ☐

Frost was the primary guy in the six hole, with Joe and Sato behind him. Gerard Leeder is the shortstop of the future in AA, but he’s only 19, and looked lost at the plate. Takanori Higashi is still in the system, but like Frost is past his prime.

Outfield: þ þ þ þ þ

This is the Hops’ strength, and even with Badry Makaev on the DL most of the season, this is a bright spot. Carlos Avila led the division in rbis, and was second in HRs while slugging .552: .319/.366/.552 36 hr 134 rbi. He only made one error in 331 chances while showing better range than anticipated. He was flanked often by league leading hitter, Kyle Reader: .370/.438/.464  113 runs and 41 steals, only getting thrown out eight times. He primarily played DH, but in the 62 games he played in the field, he too only made one error. Justin Davis also got on base over 40% of the time while playing great defense: .318/.412/.458 with 32 doubles. Daniel Lopez fleshed out the group, hitting .316/.381/.503 27 hr 108 rbi. Makaev, in the 85 games he played before he ruptured a tendon in his finger, performed as well, .321/.384/.495 51 runs 54 rbi. In a brief cameo, Ricardo Romo showed he’s ready, hitting .354/.386/.446. Tom Cassidy, Dan Savage and first round choice two years ago, Jejomar Butardo lurk in the minors.

Starting Pitching: þ þ ☐ ☐ ☐

This was the Achilles heel of the San Diego squad. Mal Tosewell started eight games then went down with a season ending elbow injury. Tadasuke Kato proved to be the most reliable starter, going 12-9 in his first full season in the bigs. Kazuhiko Kanno did not progress as hoped, going 11-13 with a 5.71 ERA. Lee Barker was a pleasant surprise, notching an 11-6 record in his rookie season, but his ERA still soared at 5.91. Jose Lara went 7-3 splitting his time in the rotation and bullpen. Jesus Feliciano looked okay in part-time duty. Jin-Song Cheung made his debut with mixed results in two starts. Jared Thornton went backwards, and there are not a whole lot of candidates to step to the front of the rotation in the minors.

Bullpen: þ þ þ ☐ ☐

Nat Downs and Ed Downing, after his DL stint, combined for 32 saves to anchor a fairly decent bullpen. Aurelio Mata, Joe Barrett and Henry McGowan were reliable for the most part, while Luis Sandoval and Ivan Garcia were hampered by injuries. Others to appear, J.R. Murphy, Lorenzo Pueblo, and Bob Lortie, did little to soothe the San Diego faithful. Help from the minors is modest at best, with no real flamethrower in the works.

Overall: þ þ þ ☐ ☐

The team did improve by 20 victories, going from 59 to 79 wins. The climb to playoffs is still a steep one, and will come at the cost of either outfield or catching depth.